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1816IIHF News from www.iifh.comTYPO3 - get.content.righthttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssMon, 19 Mar 2018 17:41:00 +0100U18 Worlds ticketshttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1306
Ticket packages for Fargo and Moorhead on sale SaturdayThe event, which is being staged in the United States for the first time in its 10-year history, will take place in Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, from April 9-19, 2009.

The primary venue will be the newly constructed 5,000-seat Urban Plains Center in Fargo. The recently renovated Moorhead Sports Center, with a capacity of 3,000, will also play host for the championship.

Two ticket packages are available for purchase. Ticket Package A boasts reserved seating for 17 games at the Urban Plains Center, including all U.S., Canada and medal games. The cost is $260, with a $75 deposit due at the time of reservation. Meanwhile, Ticket Package B includes general admission seating for 14 games at the Moorhead Sports Center for $130, with $50 due at booking.

Ticket packages are available by calling 701-235-7171 or online at ticketmaster.com.

For questions about the event, call 701-364-3672 or visit 2009u18.com.

]]>on rightWorldsU18Channel News U1820 United StatesThu, 19 Jun 2008 23:16:00 +0200U18: Canada is champion!http://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=999
Canada left no room for doubt with an 8-0 thumping of RussiaCanada – Russia 8-0 (5-0, 2-0, 1-0) KAZAN, Russia – In the most lopsided gold medal game in U18 history, Canada throttled Russia, 8-0, to earn its second-ever gold medal at the annual event.
Few could have predicted the drubbing that awaited the Russians as the two teams entered the game virtually even in every statistical category, including power-play, goaltending and scoring efficiency. But despite the equality on paper, it felt as if the Canadians were the underdogs after losing the preliminary round game against Russia, 4-2, and having to play in front of a full, pro-Russia crowd.
But as the saying goes, every dog has its day, and indeed it was the day for the underdog.

Canada opened the scoring with its first shorthanded goal of the championship to silence the Russian crowd. Nicolas Deschamps scored the goal just 4:32 into action. Corey Trivino opened up a two goal lead at the 9:02 mark, giving the Russians their largest deficit at this year’s U18 championship.
But things really started to unravel for Russia when Canada struck with a pair of goals coming 49 seconds apart. Jordan Eberle scored a power-play goal at 15:06, and Brayden Schenn quickly added the 4-0 goal, prompting Russia to pull starting goaltender Alexander Pechurskiy for Danila Alistratov. Replacement Alistratov didn’t fare much better as Eberle scored to make it 5-0 just over a minute after he entered the game.
The Canadian rush ebbed a bit in the second period, although in fairness, it’s tough to top a five-goal period in a gold medal game. Still, Canada put in another two goals in the next 20 minutes as Tyler Cuma scored on the power play, while Brandon McMillan also scored to make it an overwhelming 7-0 advantage.
Taylor Hall added the 8-0 goal as the third period was basically a foregone conclusion. Particularly impressive about the Canadian win was that seven different players scored the eight goals. Only Eberle scored twice. Jake Allen earned the shutout in net for Canada.
The last, and only other time, Canada won gold at the U18s was in 2003. The nation also took home the silver in 2005. Russia now has three gold, three silver and one bronze medal at the U18 championship.

Click here for the photo gallery of Canada's 8-0 triumph and the celebrations.]]>IIHFon topU18Channel News U1803 Canada15 Russiaon topWorldson lefton rightWed, 23 Apr 2008 18:58:00 +0200U18: USA wins bronzehttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=991
Americans take home record fifth-straight U18 medal.Sweden – United States 3-6 (1-2, 2-3, 0-1)KAZAN, Russia - The U.S. won a record fifth-consecutive U18 medal after topping Sweden in the bronze medal game, 6-3. While the bronze was a notch below the two silver and two gold medals the Americans had earned in the last four seasons, it was nevertheless a positive end to the championship as the nation now owns bragging rights to a new U18 record.
Late-period goals proved to be the key to the U.S. victory as three of the American’s six goals came in the last minute of the stanzas.
After Sweden took the 1-0 lead 14:23 into the game, the U.S. exploded with two even-strength goals in an astounding 16-second span to climb ahead 2-1. Ryan Bourque scored with 50 seconds left in the period, while Robbie Czarnik followed up on the face-off play.
Czarnik struck again 5:12 into the second period as the Americans owned the first half of the middle stanza. Jeremy Morin scored just over two minutes later to give the U.S. a commanding 4-1 lead. But just as every coin has two sides, so did this period as the tide turned to Sweden’s favor in the second half. Henrik Bjorklund and Martin Lundberg each added a goal to cut the American lead down to 4-3. But another late period goal by the Americans, this one with 40 seconds left from Danny Kristo, restored the two-goal lead.
Morin put in the insurance goal with 4:23 left in the game to give the U.S. the 6-3 win. Today’s victory avenged a 5-4 preliminary round loss that ultimately gave Sweden the automatic berth to the semi-final game.
Sweden missed its chance to earn a second straight bronze medal. The country has four medals in U18 history, two bronze medals (2005, 2007) and one silver medal that came in the inaugural year, 1999. The Americans have six total medals in U18 history, three gold (2002, 2005, 2006) two silvers (2004, 2007) and this year’s bronze. Russia tops all medal winners with seven medals, the total including this year’s silver or gold.]]>IIHFon topU18Channel News U1820 United States18 Swedenon topon lefton lefton rightWed, 23 Apr 2008 14:45:00 +0200U18: Germany earns fifth placehttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=989
Shorthanded goal with 37 seconds left lifts Germans to 4-3 win.Finland – Germany 3-4 (1-1, 0-2, 2-1)KAZAN, Russia - Germany ended its U18 World Championship on a high note after earning a fifth-place finish with a 4-3 win over Finland. The finale was dramatic as the Germans squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period, only to comeback and net the game-winner while shorthanded with 37 seconds left in the game.
Finland struck first, scoring at the midway mark of the first period. But after the Jere Sallinen goal, the game belonged to Germany, which put in three unanswered goals in the next two periods.
Steve Hanusch got the German offense started with his goal coming in the last two seconds of the first period. Germany fed off the momentum and added another pair of goals in the second period, a power-play tally from Tom-Patric Kimmel and an even-strength goal from Toni Ritter.
Despite Germany having the upper hand on the scoreboard, the Finns clearly had more chances, out-shooting the Germans more than three-to-one in the first 40 minutes and closing the game with a 51-20 shots advantage.
Finland finally found its offensive touch in the third period as its special teams sparked to life, adding a shorthanded goal and a power-play tally to tie the game at three. Finland was in pole position late in the game after Germany was whistled for a penalty, but then Germany’s Florian Strobl shocked everyone in the arena with his shorthanded game-winner.
Germany ends the championship in fifth place, while the Finns must settle for sixth.]]>IIHFon rightU18Channel News U1808 Germany06 Finlandon leftTue, 22 Apr 2008 19:10:00 +0200U18: Canada vs. Russia for goldhttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=984
First-ever medal meeting for the two nations at U18s.Russia – United States 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1)Russia will skate for its second consecutive gold medal at the U18 World Championship after hanging on for a 3-1 win against the United States in the semi-final game. Russia will take on Canada on Wednesday for gold, while the U.S. will face Sweden for bronze.
It will be the first-ever meeting between Russia and Canada in any medal game at the U18 World Championship. Russia will go for a record fourth gold medal at the event, while Canada is looking for its second-ever gold.
The meeting was a rematch of last year’s gold medal game and had all the elements of a medal game as both teams played a very competitive yet controlled game.
The only U.S. penalty of the first period cost the team dearly, as Russia capitalized on its only extra-man chance, with a Viacheslav Voinov goal 15:34 into the game. It took more than 20 minutes of end-to-end action for the next goal to be scored when Russia doubled its lead with 2:36 left in the second period, leaving the Americans with a hefty 2-0 deficit to overcome in low-scoring affair.
The clock was the American’s worst enemy in the third period as they tried to generate any offense, but had problems stopping the momentum that the Russians had steadily built in the first 40 minutes. Ryan Bourque finally got the U.S. on the scoreboard with 6:49 left in the game, leading to a dramatic conclusion that included the Americans pulling the goaltender for the extra skater. But Russia held off the late attack and put in the empty netter for the 3-1 win and the gold medal game berth.
Wednesday will be the second meeting of this year’s championship between Russia and Canada. Russia won the first meeting, 4-2. Russia is also looking to become the first host nation to ever win a U18 gold medal. The U.S. can also make history, with a bronze medal win they would become the first country in U18 history to win five consecutive medals at the annual event.
Sweden – Canada 2-3 (1-1, 1-1, 0-1)A pair of power-play goals from Taylor Hall lifted Canada into the gold medal game of this year’s U18 World Championship. Canada will face the winner of tonight's Russia-USA game on Wednesday.
It is only the third time in Canada’s history at U18s that they will skate for gold and the first time since 2005, when they took silver.
Canada ever held a lead until Hall scored his second power play goal 6:52 into the third period. The capped an unlikely turnaround, which saw Canada out-played in the first period, and inching its way back into contention in the remaining 40 minutes.
The first-period scoring happened in a 27-second span as the teams exchanged the quick goals. Mattias Tedenby gave Sweden the 1-0 lead 5:51 into the game, only to have erased on the next shift by Matthew Duchene. Despite the deadlocked score, Sweden clearly had the upper hand in the first period, out-shooting Canada more than three-to-one.
Sweden’s persistence paid off in the opening minutes of the second period as they took the 2-1 lead 1:08 into the period when Jakob Silfverberg scored. But once again, Canada was there to even things up as Taylor Hall scored the power-play goal at the 8:06 mark of the period. Sweden had been living dangerously in the period, with three penalties in the first half, including one that led to a five-on-three.
The teams were even in the third period, until Hall struck with the eventual game-winner. Both teams played disciplined hockey, giving up minimal power-play chances until a minor scrum in the waning seconds put both teams down a man.
For Sweden, it is the second straight year that the nation earned the quarterfinal bye only to lose in the semi-final. Last year, the Swedes won the bronze medal, 8-3 against Canada.
Slovakia – Switzerland 3-2 (0-0, 0-1, 3-1)Slovakia finished this year’s U18 World Championship in seventh place after a third period rally gave them a 3-2 win over Switzerland in the last relegation round game.
Despite out-shooting Slovakia 30-9 in the first two periods the Swiss scored only once in the first 40 minutes, and that tally came in the last 48 seconds of the second period when Marc Kampf gave Switzerland the 1-0 lead. Slovakia started the third period on a power-play and tied the game at one with the extra man when Marek Hrvik scored 1:39 into period.
Slovakia continued its unlikely comeback in the third period when Adam Lapsansky scored the go-ahead goal at the 47:23 mark. With not much on the line, besides the final placement, Switzerland had to dig deep to get the game-tying goal, but Sven Ryser came through for the Swiss, making it 2-2 with eight minutes left to play. But Slovakia’s Martin Uhnak ended all chances for overtime when he scored game winner with 10 seconds left in the game.
Both Switzerland and Slovakia will return to next year’s top division, which will be played in the United States.
Denmark – Belarus 2-6 (0-2, 1-1, 1-3)Belarus earned bragging rights and ninth place at this year’s U18 championship after skating to a 6-2 win against Denmark.
The game had no implications other than the final tournament placement as both nations knew they were relegated to Division I entering the game. Belarus scored a pair of goals 1:21 apart to take the early 2-0 lead.
Belarus forward Igor Stepanov made it 3-0 midway through the game with the second power-play goal for his team. Setpanov also assisted on a first-period tally. Denmark got on the board with 2:04 left in the second period, to pull back to within two goals. It proved to be closest that the Danes would come, as Belarus added another three goals in the third period, pulling out to a 6-1 lead before Denmark put in one final goal in the late stages of the game to bring the final to 6-2.]]>IIHFon topU18Channel News U1803 Canada02 Belarus05 Denmark15 Russia20 United States18 SwedenMon, 21 Apr 2008 16:11:00 +0200U18: Canada & USA advancehttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=980
Day 8: Slovaks & Swiss will return to top division in 2009United States – Germany 4-1 (1-0, 2-1, 1-0)Tomorrow’s semi-final will be a rematch of last year’s gold medal game after the United States beat Germany, 4-1, to move onto the final four, where they will meet host Russia.
While it can’t be said that today’s win was a cakewalk for the Americans, it seemed as if they had things well in control against the Germans. Robbie Czarnik scored less than five minutes into the game to give the U.S. the 1-0 lead. Despite having three straight power play chances in the first period, the U.S. had to settle for the slim lead at the end of one.
Germany took advantage of early second-period penalty trouble and netted a five-on-three goal to tie the game at one. Unfortunately for the Germans, the strike only seemed to wake the sleeping giant as the U.S. put in two goals by the midway mark of the period to climb ahead 3-1. Kyle Palmieri put the finishing touches on the win with the lone goal of the third period, bringing the final to 4-1.
Last year, Russia edged the U.S., 6-5, in the gold medal game. It is the seventh straight year that the Americans have played in the U18 semi-final game. The nation is going for a record fifth-straight U18 medal. They have earned two silver and two gold medals at the World U18 Championship in the last four years.

Canada – Finland 2-1 (1-0, 1-0, 0-1)

Finland outshot Canada 36-20 and 26-12 over the last two periods, but all they could produce offensively over 60 minutes was Jani Lajunen’s shorthanded goal six minutes before the end. Canadian goaltender Jake Allen was excellent during his 35-save performance.

Defenseman Tyler Cuma scored at 15.03 to give Canada the lead and Cory Hodgson got the game-winner midway through the game, a power-play goal which gave the Canadians the much needed two-goal cushion. Hodgson also assisted on the first goal, while Ryan Ellis had assists on both.

It was Cuma’s first goal of the championship. Hodgson is tied with Matthew Duchesne in leading all Canadian players with seven points.

The Finns ended the game playing six-on-four. Canada’s Travis Hamonic got a minor penalty with 59 seconds left and Finland pulled goalie Rasmus Rinne for a sixth attacker, but they kept missing the net on the chances they created.

Despite the win, Canada failed to impress and Sweden will go into Monday’s semifinal as the favourite to reach the final. Canadian teams – especially in games against Sweden – relish that underdog role.
Switzerland – Denmark 6-1 (1-0, 4-1, 1-0)After a four-goal eruption in the second period, Switzerland secured its spot in the next year’s U18 top division, skating to a 6-1 win against Denmark. The win sealed Denmark’s relegation fate as the nation moves back down to Division I next year.
With Slovakia also securing its spot among the elite in today’s early game, all that is left to be determined in tomorrow’s relegation games is final placement.
Six different Swiss players scored in the win, which included three power-play tallies. After a slow start, Switzerland got the offense rolling when Nino Niederreiter scored a two-man advantage goal late in the first period. After the goal, Switzerland took control in the second period, pulling ahead, 4-0, before Denmark added its only goal with 1:52 left in the period. The Swiss didn’t let the celebration last long as they restored the four-goal lead with 18 seconds left in the period. A final goal with 4:35 left in the game sealed Switzerland’s spot at the 2009 top event next year.
Switzerland will play Slovakia tomorrow for seventh place, while Denmark and Belarus will face-off for ninth place.
Belarus – Slovakia 1-6 (0-3, 0-2, 1-1)

Richard Panik scored Slovakia’s two first goals within the first 14 minutes and Adam Lapsansky added a third shortly after. Panik got his third for the game early in the second to make it 4-0 and at that point the game was virtually over. Miroslav Preissinger got Slovakia’s fifth before the second intermission. Tomas Hricina had Slovakia’s last goal with four minutes left.

Igor Ravenko scored the consolation goal for Belarus, who is on the verge of being relegated back to division I. Belarus' only chance to stay up is to defeat Denmark on Monday, providing that Switzerland loses to Denmark later today. One Swiss point in that game means that both Denmark and Belarus will be relegated. Slovakia outshot Belarus 29-19.

Richard Panik (Slovakia) scores one of his three goals on Belarus goalie Alexander Borodulia.Photo: IIHF/HHoF/Pekka Mononen

The North American showdown will have to wait for another day at the U18 World Championship as the U.S. avoided a quarterfinal match-up against Canada after defeating Finland, 4-3. The win gives the Americans a second-place finish in Group B and pits them against Germany in the quarterfinals. With the loss, third-placed Finland draws the Canadians in the other quarterfinal game.

The Americans made it clear in the first period that earning second place in the group was a high priority as the team poured in three goals to take a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. The U.S. out-shot Finland a hefty 16-4 in the period.

Finland bounced back in the second period and pulled to within one as Teemu Hartikainen scored the only goal of the period on the power play at the midway mark. Ryan Grimshaw restored the two-goal lead 1:16 into the third period, but an untimely penalty allowed the Finns to net another power-play goal just over a minute later to make it 4-3. Despite some steady pressure, two late penalties by the Finns helped the Americans to hang on for the slim win.

All teams have the day off tomorrow before the quarterfinals are played on Sunday.

Click here for the game's photo gallery.

Russia – Denmark 10-1 (2-0, 3-1, 5-0)

Host Russia had no problem finishing undefeated in the preliminary round after earning an easy 10-1 win against relegation round-bound Denmark.

The Danes had no chance against the defending champion, as Russia put in the minimal effort for the win. After skating out to the 2-0 lead in the first period, Russia put in back-up goaltender Danila Alistratov at the start of the second period. Russia continued to cruise in the second period, netting a power-play, even-strength and a shorthanded goal. Denmark spoiled the shutout, scoring a shorthanded goal of its own, but it did little to help the outcome as Russia held a formidable 5-1 lead at the end of 40 minutes.

Russia continued to find the back of the net with relative ease in the third period. The Danes didn’t help their cause by getting into penalty trouble allowing Russia to put in three power play goals in addition to the two even-strength tallies, bringing the final to a staggering 10-1.

Russia has the next two days off as it awaits the semi-final round. Denmark now must refocus and gear up for the relegation round. The Danes enter the four-team round robin with no points. Belarus also has zero points, while Switzerland and Slovakia each come into the group with three points each. The entire tournament is idle tomorrow before the relegation round and quarterfinals are played on Sunday.

Canada closed the preliminary round at this year’s U18 World Championship with an easy 6-0 win against Slovakia. The loss ended the Slovaks’ hopes for a quarterfinal spot and sent them to the relegation round.

Matthew Duchene scored three power-play goals in the easy win for Canada. Things were never in doubt for the Maple Leaf nation as they scored just 40 seconds into the game with a tally from Cody Hodgson. Duchene made it a 3-0 game by the midway mark with his first two goals, while Jacob Legace added the 4-0 goal with seven minutes left in the second period.

Even at the end of the second period, the Germans could celebrate their spot in the quarterfinals as Slovakia was showing little sign of life against the Canadians. The celebration became official 20 minutes later as Canada added another pair of goals including the third tally from Duchene in the final period, finalizing the Group A standings.

The only game left in the preliminary round group is between first-place Russia and last-place Denmark. Russia is already locked into the semi-finals, while Canada and Germany are in the quarterfinals after skating to second and third place, respectively. In the relegation round from Group A are Slovakia, which will carry three points to the round, and Denmark, which carries zero points.

Click here for the game's photo gallery.

Sweden – Switzerland 7-0 (2-0, 4-0, 1-0)

Sweden easily stayed unbeaten at the U18 World Championship after earning a lopsided 7-0 win against Switzerland.

The game meant little to either team as Sweden already had its semi-final spot secured, while Switzerland’s fate in the relegation round was also sealed last night. The teams lived up to their Group B rank as Sweden dominated virtually every aspect of the contest, out-shooting the Swiss more than two-to-one.

The Swiss trailed by a manageable 2-0 at the end of the first period, but then the Swedes broke the game open with a four-goal second period. Both teams looked to save energy in the third period as little happened besides a final Swedish tally to bring the final to 7-0. Marcus Johansson was the only player to score twice in the win, while Jacob Markstrom was in net for the shutout.

The only question that remains in Group B, is the fight for second and third place between Finland the U.S. tonight. The winner of the evening game will take on Germany, while the loser will face Canada in the quarterfinal. Sweden awaits the outcome of those games for its semi-final match-up, while Switzerland joins Belarus in the relegation round.

Click here for the game's photo gallery.

Click here for scores and statistics.]]>IIHFU1803 Canada06 Finland20 United States19 Switzerland18 Sweden08 Germany16 Slovakia15 RussiaFri, 18 Apr 2008 19:37:00 +0200U18: Finland into quarterfinalshttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=966
Day 5: Germany keeps quarterfinal hopes alive, Finland secures its spot.Finland – Belarus 4-3 (1-1, 1-2, 2-0)Finland secured its spot in the quarterfinals at the U18 Championship after a third-period surge lifted the Nordic nation to a 4-3 win against Belarus.
For Belarus, things are also clear, they will play in the relegation round, carrying no points after going 0-0-4 in the preliminary round.
Tomorrow Finland and the U.S. will play to determine which will earn second place in the group. Meanwhile, Switzerland will play Sweden in a game that does nothing to change the group standings. Since the Swiss lost head-to-head against both Finland and the U.S., their hopes for a quarterfinal round spot are finished.
Belarus looked strong early, skating to a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first period. But within a minute, the Finns tied the game with a goal from Toni Rajala.
Belarus once again started the second period strong, this time netting two straight goals to climb out to the 3-1 lead. Finland managed to cut the lead to one goal late in the period, setting up a third-period showdown.
Matias Sointu set the tone early in the period, scoring the equalizer for Finland just 1:01 into the stanza. The deadlock remained in the tense period until Pekka Jormakka netted the game-winner with 4:31 left in the game.
Despite the close score, Finland out-shot Belarus 42-20.
Demark – Germany 0-4 (0-1, 0-2, 0-1)With a 4-0 win against Denmark, Germany kept its hopes alive to reach the U18 quarterfinals. Germany now has five points in the preliminary round and must await the outcome of tomorrow’s Slovakia-Canada game. The Slovaks have four points, and must earn at least two points tomorrow against the Canadians. If Slovakia loses in regulation or overtime, Germany would earn the quarterfinal berth.
It was clear from the first puck drop that Germany was on a mission to keep its quarterfinal chances afloat. The Germans out-shot Slovakia a lopsided 41-17. Despite the uneven action, Germany scored only once in the first period when Maximilian Hofbauer scored just past the midway point of the period. Germany cracked the game open in the second period, climbing ahead 3-0 with two even-strength goals.
Patrick Pohl sealed the win with a goal in the last six minutes of the game to bring the final to 4-0. Philipp Grubauer earned the shutout in net for Germany.
Denmark will enter the relegation round with zero points. Meanwhile, either Slovakia or Germany will carry three points with them to the relegation round, depending on the outcome of tomorrow’s game between the Slovaks and Canada. ]]>IIHFon topU18Channel News U1806 Finland02 Belarus05 Denmark08 Germanyon topon leftThu, 17 Apr 2008 16:35:00 +0200U18: Russia wins classic clashhttp://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-u18-championship/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=958
Day 4: Sweden upsets USA 5-4 in Group BRussia – Canada 4-2 (0-0, 2-2, 2-0)

If someone thought that the Russia – Canada rivalry isn’t what it used to be, they would definitely change their mind after watching the U18 clash of the titans in Kazan. Russia defeated Canada 4-2 in front of 10,000 wild fans at the Tatneft Arena that had all the elements of a classic matchup.

Evgeni Grachev broke a 2-2 deadlock 7:43 into the third period to give the Russians a lead they never relinquished. Pavel Chernov added the insurance goal with 4:25 remaining. Russia is the defending U18 World Champion.

With the win, Russia clinched first place in Group A, assuring a bye to Monday’s semifinal. Russia leads the group with a perfect 3W-0L record for nine points and have only Denmark left to play in the last preliminary round game on Friday. Canada is 2W-1L and has Slovakia left to play on the same day.

There were 45 penalty minutes called during a rough opening, among them a game misconduct to Russia’s Nikita Filatov for butt-ending. Things calmed down in the middle stanza and Dmitri Kugryshev gave the Russians and 1-0 lead at 3:21. Ryan Ellis used a two-man advantage for the equalizer midway through the game and two minutes later Canada scored again. This time through Matthew Duchesne who got the puck past goalie Alexander Pechurskiy.

Canada’s lead stood for a little more than five minutes. Andrei Lektionov made things even with 50 seconds left in the period with a power-play effort. A crucial goal that gave Russia momentum. When the teams returned for the last period, Russia was clearly the hotter squad. They outshot Canada 14-7 in the last 20 minutes. Lektionov leads all tournament scorers with three goals and as many assists.

Click here for the game's photo gallery.

USA – Sweden 4-5 (1-1, 2-2, 1-2)

Andre Petersson scored a dramatic goal with 16 seconds left in regulation to give Sweden a 5-4 win over the United Sates and keep his team with a perfect 3W-0L record in Group B. It was Petersson’s third goal of the championship.

Team USA had the lead (4-3) with 10 minutes left when defenceman Daniel Bozic equalized. Bozic later caused a penalty shot, but USA’s Danny Kristo couldn’t get the puck past goalie Jakob Markstrom.

Sweden assured themselves first place in Group B and a bye to the semifinal, while the Americans will play the quarterfinal, likely against Slovakia or Germany, on Sunday.

USA enjoyed a 3-1 lead midway through the game after goals from Jordan Schroeder, Colin Moore and Jeremy Morin. But Sweden came back with two quick goals before the last intermission, through Mattias Tedenby and defenceman Erik Karlsson. It was Tedenby’s second goal of the game as he also had Sweden’s first marker after nine minutes. Karlsson also added two assists, while Tedenby was 2+1 for the evening.

This Sweden goal was waved off, but the Swedes came back and scored the game winner with 16 seconds remaining to defeat the U.S. 5-4. Photo: IIHF/HHoF/Pekka Mononen

In a game with many twists and turns, Germany came out on top of a shootout thriller with a 5-4 victory over Slovakia.

It was a wacky game from the beginning as the first period included a goal in the first nine seconds, followed by two shorthanded tallies. Germany’s Maximillian Forster scored after the opening face-off to give his team the very early 1-0 lead. Slovakia bounced back with a morale-boosting shorthanded goal at the 7:21 mark. But the boost was short-lived as Germany reclaimed the lead with a shorthanded tally of its own, taking a 2-1 lead into the second period.

The first half of the second period was owned by the Slovaks as they put in three consecutive goals, including a five-on three, to turn the tables and take a commanding 4-2 lead. Of course, this was no ordinary game, so fittingly, Germany owned the second half of the period and tied the game at four with a pair of even-strength goals.

And in the third period came…silence. No goals, only two penalties and a lot of nervous energy as the teams headed into overtime. The overtime was much of same, forcing the shootout, which was won when Daniel Weiss put in the game-winner for the two points in the standings.

Germany kept a window of hope open to avoid the Relegation Round, while Slovakia now has four points in three games and still faces an unclear fate. If both teams end up the relegation round, the Germans would take two points with them, while Slovakia would have just one.

Switzerland skated to its first win at this year’s U18 World Championship after earning a 4-2 win against Belarus. Should the two teams end up in the Relegation Round, Switzerland would carry the three points from today’s win into the round. Of course, the three points from today's win could also go a long way for the Swiss to move onto the quarterfinals.

Marc Kampf scored bookend goals for the Swiss, netting the 1-0 tally just 2:03 into the game and then sealing win with an empty netter just 56 seconds left in the affair. Until Kampf struck in the final minute the win was up for grabs as Switzerland couldn’t pull ahead from the persistent Belarus team.

Early on, Switzerland looked to have things well in control, after springing ahead, 2-0 in the first period. But in the 6:32 into the second period a power-play goal from Sergei Drozd cut the lead in half. Alain Berger restored the two-goal Swiss lead less than a minute later. But once again, Belarus came to within a goal when Alexander Fomin made it a 3-2 game at the 52:08 mark. Down by one, Bealrus gambled and pulled goaltender Dmitry Volkov for the extra skater, opening the door for Kampf’s empty-netter.

Sweden edged Finland in at the U18 Championship today in what could turn out to be a key match-up in preliminary round action for Group B. Sweden is now unbeaten in two games, while the Finns have a win and a loss.

It was an even battle between the Nordic nations as the Finns went out to an early 1-0 lead with a five-on-three goal 4:08 into the game, only to see the Swedes score three straight goals in the second period to climb out to a 3-1 advantage. The Swedish comeback started 3:46 into the second period as Henrik Bjorklund and Ilmari Pitkanen scored less than 40 seconds apart. At the midway mark of the period, Magnus Pajarvi netted the third goal.

But Finland worked its way back into the game when Matias Sointu cut the lead to one goal with a power-play tally in the waning minutes of the period. Henrik Eriksson restored the two-goal pad for the Swedes to open the second period, but once again the Finns were quick to counter as Teemu Hartikianen pulled Finland once again to within a goal. The Finns tried everything in their power to get the equalizer, including pulling goaltender Joonas Kuusela for the extra skater in the final minutes, but were denied their hopes of a late comeback as Sweden scored the empty netter and held on for the 5-3 win.

Sweden has perhaps its most important test tomorrow when it plays the U.S., which is also undefeated in the preliminary round. Finland has the day off after two straight days of action.

Click here for the game's photo gallery.

Denmark – Canada 1-4 (0-1, 1-2, 0-1)

Corey Trivino’s hat trick lifted Canada to its second win at this year’s World U18 Championship as the Canada topped Denmark, 4-1.

While the score looks close, Canada actually out-shot Denmark 43-19 in the win. Marco Scandella scored for Canada 15:30 into the game as the first period was relatively even. But then Trivino struck with two equal-strength goals in the second period to make it a 3-0 affair. Despite a power-play tally from the Danes to close the second period scoring, the win was well out of reach. Trivino ended all Danish hopes with his third goal midway through the third as Canada skated on to the three points.

The Canadians now sit atop the Group A standings with a six points in two games. Russia is also unbeaten in its first two games. Meanwhile, Denmark is at the other end of the spectrum along with winless Germany in the standings.